Malaysia Vaults Three Spots To 28th Place In International Convention Ranking

MELBOURNE, May 20 (Bernama) - Malaysia vaulted a notable three spots to 28th place in the latest International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) country rankings. The number of meetings hosted by Malaysia grew 24 per cent, from 96 meetings in 2009 to 119 last year. Malaysia also retained its position as one of the top 10 meetings destination in the Asia Pacific.

The largest meeting held in 2010 was the 18th World Congress of Accountants which attracted a record attendance of more than 6,000 delegates. In a statement, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) chief executive Zulkefli Sharif said the latest ICCA ranking reflected a growth in Malaysia's business meetings amid a competitive and challenging market. "Malaysia's promising increase in the number of meetings and improvement in rankings to date, is a clear testament of the growing strength of the collaboration and commitment between the Ministry of Tourism, MyCEB and the various industry partners to bid for, secure and deliver successful international meetings for the country," he added.

In 2010, Malaysia welcomed 1.3 million international business event visitors, contributing an estimated RM17.6 billion in economic impact. The meetings hosted includes the Asian Pacific Digestive Week (2,661 delegates),6th World Islamic Economic Forum (2,000 delegates) and the 2nd Global Model United Nations Conference (1,000 delegates).

-Bernama.